As India is fast moving towards 5G network and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven models, it’s imperative to innovate across verticals like telemedicine, on-demand services and infrastructure, say the country’s electronics experts. These verticals have a mass reach. Besides, it’s also in line with the vision of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat or ‘self-reliant India’. Good quality innovation and scalable models are required to improve the quality of life.

All this was discussed at the IESA Vision Summit 2020 held online last week and organised by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association.

“Solutions for India can be built using the collective intelligence of start-ups, academia and government support. Innovation needs to be used for scale and affordability. Open source is an option, and with this comes governance to reach out to the masses in a cost-effective manner,” said Nivruti Rai, country head of Intel India and VP DCG, Intel Corp. This is the next leap and an opportunity for the country.

Besides that, another growth engine is the fact that young India consumes big data. Around 12 gigabytes of data is consumed every month. With falling prices of smartphones (which begin at around Rs 5,000 – £50), mobile data is another opportunity to make India Aatma Nirbhar. Various citizen services are being addressed by mobile commerce. This will help bridge the digital divide. The pandemic will lead us towards newer investments. For instance, Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is pushing us into a digital wallet economy.

The semiconductor industry is another dimension that requires a push in order to build an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. This can happen by nurturing the domestic chip industry rather than relying on imports. An ecosystem for developing IoT (Internet of Things) chips and devices is essential. “Chip design is more capital intensive than software development. The Government of India needs to kick start the effort through seed capital. Venture capitalists should come forward to back start-ups specialising in IoT chips and devices. It is likely that many of these start-ups may develop chip designs that need to be benchmarked using intellectual property (IP) rights,” reasoned Vinod Dham, founder and executive managing partner, IndoUS Venture.

The semiconductor chip is the heart of all electronics devices including cellphones, PCs, cars, cloud computing and drones. In future, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular will all be integrated through one piece of silicon. Hence the system cost will be much less than what it is now. “All this can work if the critical mass of the supply chain is available domestically. The assembly testing has gained importance as chips, sensors and processors need to be packaged into the IoT,” pointed out Dham, and added that the government should launch an independent autonomous commission for the design capability and chip design.  

The evolution of semiconductors can be traced decade-wise. It began in 1965 when computers began to be used, followed by personal computers in 1975 and wired operations in 1985. Then 2005 marked the mobile and device connectivity era. “Over the last two decades, the semiconductor market has shaped into value-capturing market from being a loss-making market. Now we are moving into an era of secure edge processing. It’s a world that anticipates and automates,” argued Lars Reger, EVP and CTO, NXP Semiconductors.  

While we look forward to newer services, the tech landscape has been defined by the internet, smartphone and cloud computing over the last 20 years. When we look back over the last two decades, the Compute Era marked the decade that began with the year 2000. “Connected Era characterised 2010. Beginning this year, the next 10 years will be the Intelligent Device Era which will redefine the way we live. Every device will be connected and communicate with other devices. That’s where the value comes from seen from the consumer point of view,” added Rai. All the three eras have been facilitated by the internet, smartphone and cloud computing.

We are entering an era of secure edge processing. “With this, compute servers will store data. Smart devices and wearable electronics will proliferate. The market for connected edge devices is expanding. The future points to a world with billions of smart connected devices,” highlighted Reger. These devices are projected to sense the environment and derive smart advice out of the data in the cloud. Robots will have a role to play in these devices. They will perform tasks in climate-controlled environments. In times to come, the refrigerators can order a litre of milk from the grocery store. IoT will facilitate the process.

Automation, which is already being leveraged in production-shop floors, will determine many more operations in times to come. A case in point is the automotive sector, whereby end-to-end components of the supply chain can be automated.

Other than automation, connected cars will give scope to newer technologies. These cars call for the convergence of infotainment, comfort and electronics. Complete connected infotainment solutions include a safe display camera, reception, and audio and user experience.

This is an opportunity for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to create connected technology solutions. The convergence should be robust, with functional safety as its highlight. For instance, the powertrained brakes should be functional. A car and a mobile will suffice for many services. You can walk into your house and the mobile will address your requirements.

As India is fast moving towards 5G network and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven models, it’s imperative to innovate across verticals like telemedicine, on-demand services and infrastructure, say the country’s electronics experts. These verticals have a mass reach. Besides, it’s also in line with the vision of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat or ‘self-reliant India’. Good quality innovation and scalable models are required to improve the quality of life.

All this was discussed at the IESA Vision Summit 2020 held online last week and organised by the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association.

“Solutions for India can be built using the collective intelligence of start-ups, academia and government support. Innovation needs to be used for scale and affordability. Open source is an option, and with this comes governance to reach out to the masses in a cost-effective manner,” said Nivruti Rai, country head of Intel India and VP DCG, Intel Corp. This is the next leap and an opportunity for the country.

Besides that, another growth engine is the fact that young India consumes big data. Around 12 gigabytes of data is consumed every month. With falling prices of smartphones (which begin at around Rs 5,000 – £50), mobile data is another opportunity to make India Aatma Nirbhar. Various citizen services are being addressed by mobile commerce. This will help bridge the digital divide. The pandemic will lead us towards newer investments. For instance, Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is pushing us into a digital wallet economy.

The semiconductor industry is another dimension that requires a push in order to build an Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. This can happen by nurturing the domestic chip industry rather than relying on imports. An ecosystem for developing IoT (Internet of Things) chips and devices is essential. “Chip design is more capital intensive than software development. The Government of India needs to kick start the effort through seed capital. Venture capitalists should come forward to back start-ups specialising in IoT chips and devices. It is likely that many of these start-ups may develop chip designs that need to be benchmarked using intellectual property (IP) rights,” reasoned Vinod Dham, founder and executive managing partner, IndoUS Venture.

The semiconductor chip is the heart of all electronics devices including cellphones, PCs, cars, cloud computing and drones. In future, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular will all be integrated through one piece of silicon. Hence the system cost will be much less than what it is now. “All this can work if the critical mass of the supply chain is available domestically. The assembly testing has gained importance as chips, sensors and processors need to be packaged into the IoT,” pointed out Dham, and added that the government should launch an independent autonomous commission for the design capability and chip design.  

The evolution of semiconductors can be traced decade-wise. It began in 1965 when computers began to be used, followed by personal computers in 1975 and wired operations in 1985. Then 2005 marked the mobile and device connectivity era. “Over the last two decades, the semiconductor market has shaped into value-capturing market from being a loss-making market. Now we are moving into an era of secure edge processing. It’s a world that anticipates and automates,” argued Lars Reger, EVP and CTO, NXP Semiconductors.  

While we look forward to newer services, the tech landscape has been defined by the internet, smartphone and cloud computing over the last 20 years. When we look back over the last two decades, the Compute Era marked the decade that began with the year 2000. “Connected Era characterised 2010. Beginning this year, the next 10 years will be the Intelligent Device Era which will redefine the way we live. Every device will be connected and communicate with other devices. That’s where the value comes from seen from the consumer point of view,” added Rai. All the three eras have been facilitated by the internet, smartphone and cloud computing.

We are entering an era of secure edge processing. “With this, compute servers will store data. Smart devices and wearable electronics will proliferate. The market for connected edge devices is expanding. The future points to a world with billions of smart connected devices,” highlighted Reger. These devices are projected to sense the environment and derive smart advice out of the data in the cloud. Robots will have a role to play in these devices. They will perform tasks in climate-controlled environments. In times to come, the refrigerators can order a litre of milk from the grocery store. IoT will facilitate the process.

Automation, which is already being leveraged in production-shop floors, will determine many more operations in times to come. A case in point is the automotive sector, whereby end-to-end components of the supply chain can be automated.

Other than automation, connected cars will give scope to newer technologies. These cars call for the convergence of infotainment, comfort and electronics. Complete connected infotainment solutions include a safe display camera, reception, and audio and user experience.

This is an opportunity for OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to create connected technology solutions. The convergence should be robust, with functional safety as its highlight. For instance, the powertrained brakes should be functional. A car and a mobile will suffice for many services. You can walk into your house and the mobile will address your requirements.